Damper control for oil stills



J. PRIMROSE. DAMPER CONTROL F OR OIL STiLLS.

'APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1,920.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

ATTORNEYS JOHN PRIMROSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR '10 POWERSPECIALTY COMPANY,

' OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DAMPER CONTROL FOR OIL STILLS.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Aug.15, 1922.

Application filed September 16, 1920. Serial No. 410,652.

1920, Ser. N 0. 386,733, to w ich I now refer for purpose of more fullyillustrating the nature and purpose of the invention Whlch forms thesubject of' the present application for Letters -Paten't, I have shown aknown form of fractional oil still in which "a plurality of successivebanks of tubes or heating surfaces are exposed to a gradually increasingtemperature and in'which provision is made for taking off the vaporformed in each bank. The nature of the vapors so taken off difi'ersaccordingto the temperature to which the oil is subjected, and hence, asis well understood, such temperatures should be maintained uniform orconstant-in each bank. p

In the present case I have shown merely an outline illustration of atypical form of fractional still, omitting for simplicitys sake thedetails of the means for taking off the vapors and other means which inpractical operation are necessary or desirable. This is done for thereason that my present invention is merely an improvement in the meansfor controlling the amount of heat imparted to or absorbed by each bankof tubes in such a form of still.

My improvement consists in the combination with the series of banks oftubes or heating surfaces of movable dampers in the nature of bafileswhich maybe adjusted as required so as to cause more or less of the hotfurnace gases to sweep any given bank and thereby .c'ontrol the quantityand effect of the heat received and absorbed.

This improvement I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing in whichthe figure is a central vertical section of a fractional still with myimprovement applied thereto. s

The special construction, arrangement and mode of operation of the stillproper are not matters of controlling importance to my invention. It isonly necessary that there be a plurality of banks oftubes or In anapplication filed b me on June 5,

. damper above it is raised heating surfaces 1, 2, 3, etc., so disposed,as, for example, in the heating chamber 4 above the fire chamber 5 andthrough which the hot gases pass, as to undergo different heatingeffects, usually a gradually increasing temperatureefi'ect derived fromthe action of the gases on the oil passing in series through the saidbanks and sweeping the tubes therein.

In such still it maybe and usually is desired to take off from each banksuch vapors as may be liberated therein, and as the nature of each vaporso taken ofi should be fixed and uniform, it is essential that the 011therein be subjected to uniform conditions of heat. This may varyfor'various reasons. The nature of the fire, the character of the oil,the velocity of, flow and the like, and to regulate such heat conditionsto secure uniform results, I place over each bank of tubes in the spacenot occupied by said bank a damper or bafile of refractory material 6,which is suspended by a wire or chain 7 passing over pulleys 8 andcarrying'counterbalance weights 9.

The dampers pass through suitable openings in the top wall of thechamber 4, and in their lowermost position practically close the openpassage or space between the top of a bank and the Wall.- If a. givenbank is exposed to too great a heating effect the less of this passageis opened and the hot gases, following the path of least resistance,flow through the same, or are shunted around the bank. On the other handlowering a damper and closing this passage compels the gases 'to flowchiefly through the spaces between tubes of the bank and thus such tubesare swept bya greater proportion of such gases and the temperature ofthe oil therein correspondingly raised.

This is the principle of my improvement. Obviously the same ultimateobject may be secured in substantially the same way bymeans differingwidely in specific construction from those herein shown. I do not intendtherefore to limit the invention to the specific means shown and hereindescribed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a fractional still, the combination' with a chamber for thepassageof the hot furnace gases, of-a plurality of banks of tubes or heatingsurfacessupported but not 110 I whereby more or occupying all of thesectional space therein, of a series of refractory baffles suspended invertical line with the said banks in the spaces not occupied by the sameand adjustable to vary the passage through such spaces, whereby more orless of said spaces may be closed or opened and the proportion of hotgases sweeping the banks there-' of a plurality of banks of tubes orheating surfaces therein, but not occupying all of the space therein, ofa series of refractory baflies suspended over the banks of tubes in thespaces not occupied by the banks of tubes and adjustable throughopenings in the top Wall of the chamber for closing or opening more orless of said spaces for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof 1 hereto afiix my signature.

JOHN PRIMROSE.

